


One Bite

by deviance



Series: Split-Second Soulmates [5]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Blood, Surfer AU, not happy ending, this one hurt me to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-16 22:46:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7287706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deviance/pseuds/deviance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was right there...until he wasn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Bite

**Author's Note:**

> Seriously, this one was the most painful to write so far, but the idea wouldn't go away.

Aomine still wasn’t sure whose idea it had been to take a vacation to the beach, but he certainly wasn’t complaining. 

He slid his sunglasses over his nose, watching the well-built man surfing from a ways out. Yeah, no complaints here. 

“Dai-chan! Come play volleyball with us!” Satsuki called. Aomine sighed, getting up begrudgingly before a sly smirk came over his face. 

“You’re going to get destroyed,” he warned, before joining the team of Takao and Satsuki, facing off against Midorima, Kise, and Kasamatsu. Tetsu sat to the side under an umbrella, iced fruity drink in his hand and pale eyes watching the game with interest. 

They played for almost an hour before it got too hot to continue. Aomine was proud to say he’d lead his team to victory, much to the dismay of Kise. 

“Tetsu-kun~” Satsuki cooed, returning to her soulmate’s side and asking him to give her another application on suntan lotion before she turned to do the same for him. 

Midorima and Takao headed off to the concessions, the taller teen blushing a light gray as the shorter one grinned and teased him. Aomine returned to his towel with a sigh, noting Kise and Kasamatsu heading down the beach. 

Okay, maybe he had one complaint. He would’ve liked to not be the only one who hadn’t found his soulmate yet. The only one who still only saw the world in shades of gray. Hell, even _Akashi_ had found his soulmate, some nervous little thing that shook like a Chihuahua but yet still somehow worked with his crazy ex-captain. 

He reclined once more, turning his attention back to the lone surfer. The waves had died down a bit so the guy was relaxing in the water, sitting astride his board. The current had brought him closer to shore as he sat without movement, meaning Aomine could make out more of him. His hair was messy from the wind and water. Sitting as high as he was, he had to be tall; maybe even as tall as Aomine himself. And Aomine would eat food off those abs. He licked his lips, lifting a hand to flick his glasses up so he could take in the view without the shade. All around, the other was a total package. Now he just had to hope he wasn’t one of those “I’m saving myself for my soulmate” people or, even worse, “I’ve already found my soulmate” people. 

The guy was much closer now. Probably just about twenty yards out. Aomine could make out his features now, even if they were only in shades of gray. Defined jaw. Tempting lips. Fierce red eyes that were staring right at him. 

Aomine sat up like a rocket, blinking as the world suddenly sprung into color. He couldn’t take his eyes off the redhead— _the redhead!_ —who as staring at Aomine just as stunned. 

Then the most blinding smile came across the other’s face and Aomine couldn’t help but return it. The surfer leaned down to paddle, turning towards the shore and clearly headed straight for him. Aomine nearly vibrated out of his skin, already moving to stand and trying to act cool when really he wanted to shout and jump and just grab his redhead and never let him go. Finally! He’d found his soulmate! 

The other had only came a few yards closer though before he lost his smile for a second, a look of confusion crossing his face as he stopped paddling, peering into the water at his side. Aomine frowned, taking a few steps towards the water, wondering what could have possibly distracted his soulmate from— 

Aomine only had a second to see a look of pure fear cross his soulmate’s face, the beginning of a shout being cut off as he was suddenly jerked underwater. 

Aomine stumbled forward, eyes searching the water when no one resurfaced. He did see one thing though. 

“Shark,” he whispered in horror, seeing the fin breach the surface next to the—oh god. Aomine felt sick. Blood. Blood was in the water. And it was growing and it was near his soulmate’s board and _his soulmate wasn’t resurfacing!_

“Shark!” he yelled, just as a few of the swimmers noticed the fin too. Pandemonium struck as everyone ran from the water. Aomine was running towards it though. The blood was still red. His soulmate was still alive. 

_“DAI-CHAN!”_

Strong arms caught him, yanking him back. Another pair joined the them as he fought, trying to get away. He had to get to his soulmate, he had to saved him, _he was still alive!_

“Let me go!” He yelled, fighting against Kise and Midorima. 

“Aominecchi! What are you doing?!?” 

“Have you gone insane?!” Midorima shouted. 

People were screaming, yelling, running, and Aomine was shaking, fighting. 

“He’s still alive! Let me _go!”_ He roared, yanking away from Kise’s hold before twisting out of Midorima’s, running straight to the water, to the red pool of blood spreading in the water. 

“ _DAIKI!”_

Tetsu shouting wasn’t anything he’d ever heard—hadn’t even been sure he could—but he couldn’t stop. His soulmate! His soulmate was _right there_ and there was still a chance! There was still a chance! He knew! He knew because he could still see the red, could still see the blood, could still see— 

Aomine was only in the water up to his calves when it was gone. The water wasn’t blue, only gray. The sky wasn’t blue, only gray. 

The blood wasn’t red, only gray. 

_”No,”_ he cried, voice breaking. “No, no, no, no,” he begged collapsing into the water right there like he was a puppet and someone had cut his strings. 

“Aomine! Move!” Midorima had caught up to him, was tugging him back to the beach by his arm. Kise helped, grabbing his other side. He didn’t even have the will to fight, didn’t have the will to stand, didn’t have the will to even _fucking breath_. 

“Dai-chan!” Satsuki was there as soon as he was free from the water, throwing her arms around him, sobbing from her fear. “Daiki, Dai-chan, Daiki,” she kept alternating, shaking against him. He couldn’t even comfort her, so close to breaking himself. 

“What were you thinking, you stupid aho?!” she yelled, pulling away to reveal tear-filled eyes and a gray flushed face. “You could have died!” 

“My…My soulmate,” he manage to get out, eyes burning, filling, overflowing. There was a gasp around him and everyone stiffened, looking towards the growing pool of gray, the lone surfboard now nearing the beach as the current brought it forward. He was glad he couldn’t see the red now, couldn’t see his soulmate’s lifeblood spreading and thinning in the ocean. 

“Aominecchi,” Kise murmured, looking stricken himself. 

There was a time when Aomine could feel nothing. He could make himself empty, pushing away the loneliness and pain basketball brought him. Able to smirk and swagger and ignore everything that hurt until it went away. 

He wished he could get that ability back. 

His mouth trembled. His vision was blurring from tears. His heart was beating so fast, too fast. His hands were shaking. His chest was aching. His fucking soul felt like the stupid shark had taken a huge bite out of it _because it had!_

Satsuki forced him to look away from the ocean, tugged him close and held him tight just as he shattered, damn-near wailing. He’d be embarrassed about making such a sound if he wasn’t too busy dying inside. 

Satsuki cried with him, never loosening her hold. He felt Tetsu grab his shoulder, hand trembling a bit against his skin. 

“He was _right there_ ,” he managed to get out between gasping sobs. Satsuki clung to him tighter. Tetsu squeezed his shoulder. Kise was crying, he could hear, and that might’ve been Midorima sniffling, but he didn’t care to look to check. 

“I’m so sorry,” Satsuki kept repeating, over and over, rocking his slightly as he sobbed into her shoulder. 

Behind them, the ocean waves picked up, washing higher up the shore before retreating once more. A rider-less surfboard road one of these waves, sliding up the beach inch by inch. The tip brushed Aomine’s calf, completing its late owner’s intended journey, before returning to the ocean.

**Author's Note:**

> This one was sort of in honor of Shark Week next week. It's my favorite week of television all year. Lame, maybe, but I think sharks are freaking cool.


End file.
